1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to vehicle, remotely controlled outside rear-view mirrors; and, more particularly, to remote control, exterior review mirror systems for facilitating vehicle backing.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional, exterior or “outside” vehicle mirrors have come into prominence, on both the driver and passenger side, to provide the driver an enhanced “rearward view” in addition to the traditional interior rearview mirror. These mirrors, which are mounted external the vehicle, usually proximate the front doors, are used to view straight rearward of the automobile during normal, forward operation such as when changing lanes on a freeway or overtaking and passing cars on two, as well as multi-lane roads. They are also useful in backing.
Since these devices are mounted to the exterior of the vehicle, they have become remotely adjustable using a control, mounted inside the vehicle, proximate the drivers side. Some are powered. In this case, the switch remotely controls the mirror adjustment, by for example, electric tilting motors. In this manner a driver entering the vehicle can use the electronically switched motor to tilt the exterior mirror(s), one at a time, up or down (about a horizontal axis), or to either side (about a vertical axis) to get an “adjusted rearward view”, directly back along either side of the vehicle. The position of each exterior mirror can then be locked for driving.
Recently, luxury cars, such as Cadillac, have employed memory circuits, which adjust seats, radio, and mirrors to a preset position when a driver, identified by a chip on the specific ignition key, places the key in the ignition. Thus, each driver of the vehicle carries his or her unique key, such that all of the above adjustments are reset to his or her setting by placing the key in the ignition circuit. In this manner, outside mirror “readjustment” is automatic when a specific driver's key is placed in the ignition.
“Backing” a motor vehicle is one of the most dangerous and accident-prone maneuvers a driver can attempt. Conventional exterior mirrors, which provide a view straight backward of the vehicle, are not of much assistance to the driver when reversing the vehicle into tight spaces, such as when parking. During parking maneuvers, including rearwardly maneuvering the vehicle into a parallel parking space, it is desirable to be able to observe, through the external rearview mirrors, impediments to the downward side of the vehicle, including adjacent vehicles, elevated curbs, posts, and the like.
Recently, in order to facilitate such maneuvers as parallel parking, the passenger side, outside rearview mirror has been equipped with a linkage, which angels the mirror downward, such that the driver has a clear view of the curb and other obstacles on the ground proximate the passengers side of the vehicle to facilitate parallel parking. This “downward tilt” is affected automatically when the car is placed in reverse. This is sometimes known as a “power tilt mirror.”
A power tilt mirror always responds to the vehicle being placed in a reverse gear by rotating the exterior mirror, or mirrors, (about a horizontal axis) to a downwardly tilted orientation. This allows the driver to observe areas proximate the ground and to the side of the vehicle, rather than those that are principally the conventional rearward view. The tilting of the mirror may be accomplished by a separate tilt mechanism provided specifically for the power tilt function, or may be provided by programming the memory function of a conventional electrically driven remote positioning device, which responds to the vehicle being placed in reverse gear. Upon placing the vehicle in drive, neutral or park position the mirror returns to its previous adjustment, which has been memorized by the circuit.
Since this alteration of the passenger's side outside rearview mirror happens automatically when the vehicle is placed in reverse, the driver cannot see “straight rearward” from the passenger's side rearview mirror when the vehicle is in reverse. Thus, when backing from a parking space in a parking lot, backing from a garage, or the like, the driver is virtually “rearwardly blind” on the passenger's side, leaving a dangerous blind spot. Cars approaching from the side and rearward of the driver cannot be seen.
Additionally, with the advent of “one-way street parking” which allows, at least passenger cars and SUVs, to parallel park on either side of the street, the “driver's side” outside mirror has not heretofore been capable of this “automatic downward tilt” when the vehicle is placed in reverse. Even if this were available, this would place both the passengers and the drivers outside mirror in a downward view when backing. This would effectively blind the driver from viewing directly rearward events from either outside mirror. Therefore, when backing from a parking lot space, vehicles traversing the isles of the lot, behind the backing vehicle would not be visible to the backing vehicle driver, even though, such traversing vehicles have the right of way.
Thus, the prior art is both inconvenient and dangerous when attempting certain backing maneuvers. One way to alleviate this problem would be to provide a driver's side control, which would allow the driver to selectively engage this downward view for either or both of the outside mirrors. This, however, still limits the direct rearward view of a driver in backing, forcing the driver to choose between the view “straight rearward,” or only the “downward view”.
It would be advantageous to have a segmented or partitioned exterior mirror, on the driver and/or the passenger side of the vehicle, wherein both segments provide a planer rearward view during normal driving, but a first segment or reflective portion would maintain the previously driver adjusted “rearward view” and the second would automatically tilt downwardly when the vehicle was placed in reverse.